The Layer of Ice
by Kami-no-Namida
Summary: 'True love does not exist...' Sebastian used to think. However it takes a destined meeting for his mind to change. To believe that love exists... That it can change even a demon. That he's been searching for that feeling his whole life... And now he's not about to let it go. AU, Mpreg
1. What You Mean to Me

Hi folks, as you may have read, this is an AU fan-fiction. So just to say…

**Ciel is 15** (in the line of the story from 2nd chap onwards)

**Sebastian is 17** (he's older, but he looks like he's 17… you'll understand :D)

Also, I'm using some facts that are in manga, but I change them to my liking, so mind that. :p

**Warning:** AU, Slash, OoC quite possible, Mpreg... I can't think of more for the time being.

* * *

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**1. What you mean to me**

(Sebastian's POV)

_I've never believed that there might exist a feeling this searing... Until I met __**you**__._

_Is it really possible, for this to happen? __**And**__...__ can even someone like __**me**__ fall in love?_

_Why is it that I want to be learnt what is love like by you? You, who were starved of love for so long._

_But believe me, put your __**trust**__ in __**me**__ and__ I won't ever let you down._

_**We belong together**__. Of all things in the word, this is what __**I**__ am sure about._

_Allow me to __**love you**__. I swear that it would be a decision you'd never regret._

_Please,** give me a chance to prove it.**_

_Let me be the one who melts the ice which covered your heart._

-/-/-

When I had to move into London, I did not really care. _We _have always been on the move. It was annoying not because of relationships I had to cut off - as if there were any - but because we had to change our names every other time.

'Not ageing sucks sometimes.' I always thought. The move to London however seemed to be a bit of a brighter experience to me.

'This time I even have my real name.' I could only laugh to myself. I had to look hard to find a bright side every time we moved. This time however I felt that something good was about to happen to me.

I have almost given up the hope.

It was because of the fact that _we_ were different than others. _We_ as in me and my family. _We are demons._

We don't age, once we reach certain age, which is why we have to move all the time.

We are ranked high, in the demon society, to boot. - Of course I am a bit lower than my parents. It is due to the fact that they were adult demons. No demon is considered fully adult until he (or she) mates.

I was not planning to take on a mate though. I simply did not meet anyone who I thought would be pleasant to spend the eternity with. Someone who would struck me speechless. Someone to love. Someone who would not run away if I told them of my... heritage.

I spent one hundred years like that. Thinking that love is just some illusion fools believe. That was until I met _him_.

Ciel.

His name means sky in French, the language of artists and poets. [A/N That's true.]

True to that his eyes had the blue colour of the late evening. The loveliest colour one can imagine. And his hair were not black as raven's wings as mine were, they had that silver tint to them that made him even more attractive to me.

It took only one look and I could already feel the pull that was headed towards him.

_But_... no one is perfect, fearless, without a weakness.

As for Ciel, there were scars on his soul. I could see them, marring his pure heart.

I _knew_ they were there.

-/-/-

When we came here for the first time was when Ciel was nine years old. He was such a bright and sweet child back then. A child that loved his family dearly.

The Phantomhives.

The family may have been old and rich, but Ciel was not that usual spoiled brat a lot thought he was. He was a kind, gentle child and he deeply cared about what was going on with around him.

That is why when that tragedy struck it had devastated him.

-/-/-

It happened on his eleventh birthday.

When he came home from visiting his aunt (known city-wide as Madam Red) he found the house they lived in on fire.

I was keeping an eye on him that day – as every other – and that was why I saw when he ran into the burning house.

He called out for his parents desperately, but it was of no use. The fire started in the bedroom, where they were sleeping.

When Ciel opened the door into that room and saw the beds where his parents were bathed in flames he started screaming. About few seconds later he fainted. I caught him and carried him out of the house, where fire men were already trying to put the fire off. There was also an ambulance to which I carried Ciel to.

I laid that fragile figure in one of doctor's arms, quite reluctantly I have to say.

_It was that one day that I realized that I don't want him to ever get hurt._

_It was that day that I realized that I was in love with him._

I watched the doctor examining him and sighed. I was not sure whether I wanted him to know that the one who saved him was me. He did not even know me back then. I thought that if I approached him later in the future, it might take a bit shorter time to become friends, and thus my non-ageing face and body would not give anything away unless I wanted it to.

When some police man started asking me questions I only told him I was his acquaintance who came to wish him happy birthday. Well not so happy, it seemed. I also told him that it would be better if he was not told that I was the one to save him. When the man asked why I somehow evaded answering. Instead I told him to give him my birthday gift.

It was a chain on which a ring with a blue stone was. A ring was a gift that was given by us demons to our intended mates. By giving Ciel the ring I was telling other demons that he is taken, that they have no rights on him, it was a way to protect him from any harm.

I had the same ring, but with red stone. Once we had both of our rings on our ring fingers, we were never to take them off. It will be a sign of our bond. I planned to hope for it to be mutual, however, so I did not put the ring on, It was not the right time, not yet.

_I don't want to pull Ciel into a relationship he does not want to be in._

_I cherish him that much._

-/-/-

_Five years later_

'I can't let them catch me!' I thought desperately, which was not an emotion that I felt often, as I held the fragile body in my arms tighter to my chest.

It was driving me mad, that he still did not wake up. It was not how anybody would imagine a day which started as perfectly as that one did.

It shouldn't have ended with Ciel unconscious and Blood hounds after us.

"I won't let them harm you!" I whispered softly into Ciel's ear. Then ran even faster, the trees around us being everything but one unrecognisable blur.

"I will _not_ let them harm you." I repeated over and over to him, to myself... If not a demon I would have turned to God already.

"Not you, not our child."

* * *

**Done~**

**The next chapter will start like year before the last part ( take it as a premonition ;)) and will be updated once I have it done (-0-) which I don't expect in less than a week anyway xD **

**Anyway, What do you think so far? I'd like to hear some opinions~ Don't hesitate (^^)**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	2. The Strange Birthday

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**2. The strange birthday**

(Sebastian's POV)

_**I'll**__ try to __**make **__your days brighter. I always did so and I always will._

_If only __**you**__ would notice and not only pass by me._

_If at least once it brought a __**happy**__ smile on your lips, however, then I would be content._

-/-/-

_One year before_

(Ciel's POV)

As far as I was concerned, birthdays are cursed.

It always starts by these, big events, usually of destroying nature.

'It's my fifteenth birthday.' I thought sadly as I looked through the window to see the garden of the Phantomhive estate, which was now dull, as the vegetative season was long since over. 'I wonder what will happen this time.'

For a moment a flash of fire from memory appeared before my eyes and I had to close them for the picture of burning bed to disappear. Then I forced myself to bring my thoughts back to the garden.

'I wonder how it is even possible for it to stay like this without a _competent_ gardener.' I sighed at the sight of perfectly trimmed branches of – now leafless – decorative bushes. Then my eyes slid at the gardener, if I could even call him that. The only thing that seemed to connect the youngster to the work was the straw hat which he always had with him.

Yet I could not fire him.

Not that it would not be within my rights, it's just that I did not have the heart to.

'Heart, che…' I could not help but smirk at myself. I sometimes doubted that this one organ even worked within me, yet…

It did not change the fact that it has been four years since _then_ and since he has been, but the gardener was still the same blonde, who was only now recognized an adult.

The S-012 tattooed on the back of his neck, which he covers by his hat, as if that thing could cover his past also.

His fear of small places and needles.

The way he tries his best, even if it ends up a catastrophe.

All of these simply did not allow me to fire the boy.

As for the rest of the staff… I had a problem also.

MeyRin, the clumsy maid, with her overprotective streak over the first gift I ever gave her.

Bardroy, the explosive chef, with his non-vanishing hope to one day cook a food which would actually be presentable to a guest.

And Tanaka… well… aside from sitting around and ruining my tea supplies he's the only one of the remaining servants from my parent's times and was the one to hire the other three after the… incident. As I later got to know, all of them have been sent here… As for the reason for that… It remains unknown to me.

The servants of Phantomhive. That's what they are above all that, and if not doing their own jobs right, at least they hold that name proudly.

"That does not change the fact that I need someone who can make edible pastries though…" I moaned to myself in exasperation.

'Is that too much to ask?' I thought, then my mind went a bit astride and suddenly I remembered that Sebastian is to come over… Just before the guy in question rang the doorbell.

As I walked down the stairs to welcome him, I overlooked the raven as he stood in the main hall. He was still an enigma to me.

Sebastian was the only senior in the school that I've ever talked to… scratch that, aside from teachers he was the only one I talked to in school _whatsoever_…

He's been coming over even now, few months after I switched to home tutor, some William or what, who was unbelievably boring, but at least I did not have to put up with my chicken-brained classmates… I only managed to live with them for two weeks.

Sebastian, however, made me really intrigued.

When I wanted to learn chess, he offered to show me, same went for violin, classical dance, language lessons, horse-riding… I named it, and he would know enough to learn me.

'Where did he learn all that?' I always asked myself, as I did at that moment. That however was probably making me seem a bit spaced off.

'_Aren't you staring a bit too long at hi__m?_' A small voice in my head – which undeniably resembled the owner of the area's Antique's store whom everyone called Undertaker – said before laughing madly. I however could not retort back at it has been true.

"Sebastian, it's good to see you." I said after snapping out of the trance I've put myself into.

"Ciel! It's good to see you too." Sebastian said back, the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

'He's got such a nice smile.' I said to myself only. In my head was the only place I'd ever say it. There was no way I'd admit that out loud.

"Happy birthday."

That brought me back into the reality… and into the bad mood also.

"They're not something I want to celebrate, really." I sighed, then finally stepped down the last of stairs, walking over to Sebastian, who to my dismay was as always foot and half taller than me…

"That's sad." Sebastian said after a pause, his mood seemingly going down also. Then however he smiled once again.

"Won't you reconsider?" He asked, bringing out a box.

It was obvious at the first sight that it was not a gift that it held, but then it could only mean…

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked, trying not to control the hope in my voice. It however seemed to fail as Sebastian laughed.

"That depends on what you think… I better not torture you any longer though." He decided and opened the box… To reveal the most beautiful cake I ever got.

It was white and creamy, covered in marzipan… It had a hat made along with "Happy birthday" made of chocolate on a top of it, not to mention that there were strawberries in a half circle, opposite to the hat…

The bad mood was about to return at the reminder of my birthday, but the excitement over the cake as a whole overtook it in the end.

"You're a mind-reader!" I exclaimed, not being able to hold it in. "I was just thinking about how I'd kill for a good pastry!" I admitted, only to get yet another smile on the face of the raven before me.

"Better try and taste then, young master." He laughed.

"How many times do I have you not to call me that?" I groaned. It felt a stupid to be called that by him, servants were enough.

"Come on, aren't you one?" He said simply, smiling for a moment. For me however the smile stayed etched in my mind.

"Whatever…" I sighed in the end, leading him to the dining room. It was not like I would change his mind once he had his mind on something. I knew him enough to know at least that.

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

'Like a child…' I could not help but laugh inside when I saw his reaction when I opened the box. It was a rare moment actually, one of the few moments when Ciel let a positive emotion show on the surface, a moment to treasure.

Later, after we finally got to the cake I could see an expression of content see on his face. It was not exactly a smile, but it was close enough.

"So, I take it you liked my gift?" I asked once he ate a second piece of cake, after pretty much devouring the first one.

"Delicious indeed." He said matter-of-factly. "I wish I could eat this all day."

"I could make some more, if you wanted. I can bring some over next time." I offered.

"Wait, you mean it was actually you who baked this?" He asked, intrigued apparently.

"Of course. I don't trust bakeries to make something as I want exactly."

'That's partly true only.' I said to myself though. 'It's just that I wanted to actually _make_ something for you… And this seemed as something you'd appreciated the most.'

"Compliments to the chef then." He said, his corners turning upwards slightly as he reached for yet another piece of cake.

'Oh my… He actually smiled!' My mind screamed at me, sending beautiful warmth across my whole being. Only now I could truly say that the day was a success.

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

When Sebastian left I walked back to the dining room and sat at the chair by the window. The view from it was pretty much the same as the one from my room, only on the ground level.

After getting bored with sitting around I walked over to a little table which stood beside window and took an item I had a tendency to tie to this day for as long as I had it… Then I decided to come and get some fresh air and do my yearly round.

It was pretty cold outside. That however did not change the path I took, all the way back, to the cemetery of Phantomhive family.

There were ancestors of different centuries, but there were also those whose passing was not that much of a distant past.

"It's been another year, huh…" I said out loud, more to myself than to those under the ground, as I overlooked the bouquet I've told Tanaka to bring here beforehand. "You should see the company now. Auntie is doing good work, even if I have to help out…" I then continued, twirling a ring around my thumb, a ring with a blue stone, which I had since the fateful day.

I still remembered the _day after_. When I woke up in a hospital and a man gave me the ring, saying that it was left for me as a birthday gift. Since then I only wore it on my birthdays.

Once I was depressed enough, standing above the graves of my closest family I returned to the house. I returned through the dining room, as it was the closest way and there saw the rest of the cake Sebastian brought.

Somehow, thinking about him made my bad mood disappear just a little bit. Not to mention that I was already looking forward to eating the rest of his delicious gift.

I took the box with me upstairs and sat on my usual spot by the window, placing the cake on the table next to me.

As I took a piece into my hand, I could see a paper sticking from between the yet, uneaten part of it.

I took it out saw that it was a birthday card.

_Dear Ciel, _

_It has been only a short time since the two of us met, but it has been far longer for me than you may think._

_I feel as if I've known you for decades, but it has not been even one._

_Maybe one day, you will understand just how fast time seems to be for me and then we'll celebrate every event of your life as brightly as you deserve._

_Happy Birthday,_

_Sebastian_

If I said that the content seemed a bit strange to me, then I would be underestimating. It however did not cause me a shock.

The post scriptum_, the last words_, however, did.

_P. S. I hope that you're wearing the ring I gave you._

* * *

**Done~**

**So :3? What do you think? I'm curious (^^)**

**Also… The cake as described is as near as I can get to remember to a cake Sebastian makes for Ciel in the manga (I don't know which chapter). I just thought it sad that it was left uneaten in there and so I put it to a better use (^0^)**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	3. The Empty House

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**3. The empty house**

(Ciel's POV)

_**I'm** always on my own, in the big empty house, it does not matter how many people are in there with me._

_I'm **scared** **of** the fact that it might all just disappear in the curtain of flames... Again._

_I'm aware of the gazes some send my way, **being** the "poor child who lost family"._

_I've got no one for me **left**._

_I'm **alone**._

-/-/-

Even after it was already more than a week since my birthday there were still only three things which were occupying my mind all the time.

_First_, Sebastian did not come for the violin lesson we had every other week, which has happened for the very first time... as a crown to that I've been unable to get a hold of him through the phone.

'Why won't he come back? There's so much I want to ask him...'

_Second_, aunt and my annoying cousin Elizabeth - who insisted on being called Lizzy - came over, wishing me Happy Birthday. They seemed as annoyingly sweet as usual, however I could see that there was more under the façade. Thankfully enough, they left only few hours after. The thing was that I was already dreading the day they decided to come again.

'Why won't they leave me alone?'

And the _third_ has been the fact that _the_ ring has not left my hand ever since. I've somehow grown attached to it. Even if I had yet to ask the meaning of it.

'Why can't I let go of it?'

Sincerely... it was driving me insane.

-/-/-

'It really is from him, isn't it?' I asked myself as I looked into the blue stone. 'I've never gotten a ring as a gift… except for this one…'

The whole situation lacked sense to me. After all, if it really was from Sebastian, then it would mean that he has known me for way longer that I was aware of… and something felt a bit strange about that.

'How long has it been already?' I asked myself as I fiddled with the blue-stoned ring which I've placed on my right hand's thumb. 'Four years… Huh?'

My mind has easily slid to the fateful night, the night that has cost me my parents and any chance of a normal life also. The memory of the bright orange haunting me.

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

I watched as the solemn figure of Ciel's walked back and forth in front of the window - which showed the scenery of snowy garden - from the near forest… and I could not help but feel some bizarre happiness when I saw the gleam of the blue stone of the ring.

'The first stage…' I thought to myself as I've seen Ciel sit on his favourite chair and look out of the window, in my direction, as if sensing my presence. Then however I realized something as he yet again turned the ring around his thumb. He _did _feel my closeness.

I felt my mouth curl up in a smile which must have revealed my sharp, demonic teeth as I finished my thought.

'First stage… _completed_.'

-/-/-

It was late night by the time Ciel went to sleep.

He spent most of the day walking around his room mumbling something to himself. It, however, was nothing unusual. Ciel has taken to speaking to himself when alone during the year which followed the... accident. He somehow seemed to cope with the pain better like that.

When I saw the last of the lights in the house switch off I stepped out of my hide-out and walked quietly in the direction of the huge house.

'How does it feel?' I could not help but think at the sight of the building which spread far to both, left and right, from where I stood. 'What is it like to live in a house meant for whole generations... whilst being the only survivor of the family?'

I did not even know where that thought appeared.

I crept up the balcony which lead to Ciel's room. He kept it closed, given that the cold winter air was only worsening his already fragile health.

The closed door however were of no importance to me, demons have to have some tricks, don't they?

And so it was that only a few seconds later, I was already hovering over the sleeping form of my beloved, eyeing the gleaming blue stone of the ring with an exhilarating sensation going up and down my spine.

'So the feelings started to form?' I grinned to myself, reminding myself of Ciel's sudden, almost strange, habit of keeping the ring on him all the time, the very proof of the first stage completed in front of my eyes.

It was the magic of the ring, causing the wearer to want to have the ring on all time, as if wanting to have a part of their - in our case hopefully - "other half of soul" nearby. It meant that once feelings of sort formed, the wearer would keep it on themselves all time. The closer to the ring finger the more intense the emotions, the placement on the ring finger being a mutual agreement of bonding.

The very knowledge of the ring being on Ciel's _hand_ was making me ecstatic.

It however also meant that I had to keep myself away for the time being, the twelve days being the crucial time.

'If only he knew...' I thought to myself as I imagined all the possible outcomes of these days. It was not pleasant.

I was thrown out of my thoughts by a soft whimper which came from Ciel's mouth, the said boy's features turning pained as a nightmare must have come over to haunt his sleep.

"Shush..." I only whispered as I placed my hand on his forehead, the warmness of his skin startling me a bit. It has been some time since I had the opportunity to touch him. When a warm red glow surrounded my hand and the hurt expression on Ciel's face disappeared I only hummed in content. At least something of the magic of the growing bond has been proved active and accessible.

I was about to stand up when suddenly I felt a grip on my clothes.

It was by no means a tight one, nor a one from which I could not break from however...

"Don't leave..." Ciel whispered in his sleep as his delicate hand tightened the grip slightly. That was enough for me to sit down on the bed, caressing the slightly frowning boy's cheek.

"Don't worry..." I whispered back, a genuine smile tugging at my lips "I'm not going anywhere."

I stayed like that for the entirety of the night, watching him. I stayed like that until I felt him start to stir as a consciousness was already overtaking his mind.

And soon I was gone leaving only a trace of my presence gentler than a whisper behind.

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

'I haven't slept this good for some time.' were the first words that formed in my mind when I woke up that day. However as soon as my mind cleared I realized that it might not be as good a day as my sleep was. That has taken my good mood down a few notches.

And true to my prediction that day really was a bad one.

-/-/-

It started with MeyRin breaking a cup from my favourite set. No big deal? Maybe I would think so also, if it was not a start of chain-reaction that destroyed the set. It being the only thing to survive the fire in "one piece". I felt like crying when I saw the pile of shards. I however managed not to show it.

Later on, Elizabeth came again... I never wished to kill someone more.

_-/-_

_"Ciel!" she exclaimed loudly even if I was mere meter from her, being the one to open the door. Needless to say that I was sure that my hearing has suffered a permanent damage. At least I managed to evade the hug she wanted to pull me into._

_"Elizabeth... what do you want?" I asked, losing the battle with a poisonous undertone which was to come with those words._

_"I just really wanted to see you!" she squealed - 'Ugh...' - and tried to touch me again._

_'Well I did not...' I thought to myself whilst saying "And why would that be?"_

_"Because we did not really get to talk the last time I came over with mum and..."_

_"Elizabeth... enough..." I stopped her somehow whilst rubbing my temples. "I'm really tired today..." 'Having to listen to your annoying whiny voice...' "Please, just go home today..."_

_-/-_

In the end it took me another half an hour of stressing my migraine - with the very person who caused it - and a promise to having a time for visiting around New Year's for her to leave.

The rest of that awful day went on pretty much the same as usual one would... except for when I went to sleep as I realized something.

'Tomorrow is a Christmas Eve.'

That only brought a new wave of sadness to me, an empty house on Christmas day being what haunted me in my dreams.

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

I watched Ciel's day from sidelines.

From the start to the end...

It really was not a day I would want to experience myself.

What however pained me the most was the way he cried in his sleep when I came to watch him yet again.

'So much sorrow...' I thought, imagining just how many demons could get attracted to a sorrow this big if it was not for the protection the ring gave Ciel.

It was a scary realisation.

"Just a bit more, my sweet..." I whispered into his ear, my voice calming him down for some reason or the other. Like that I whispered to him, calmed him, whenever the time of dreams came during the night.

Only when he stirred into wakefulness did I leave.

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

When I woke up on the December 23rd I was only blank...

My first thoughts of the day came only when I was having a breakfast in front of the fireplace which was lit in the living room, providing a pleasant warmth.

Those first thoughts went to Sebastian.

'Won't he come even today? We've made the plans to spend Christmas together weeks ago...' I asked myself sadly as I watched the fire in the fireplace, stirring a spoon in my cup of tea, until it went cold.

Like that I spent most of the day.

Moping around, doing nothing, mostly feeling sorry for myself - not a nice feeling, let me tell you - always returning to the fireplace.

I watched with some morbid fascination as the fire died out, the air around me getting colder. I only coughed as a cold breeze wafted around and caused me to shiver... along with irritating my lungs.

'If it could only stop like this back then also...' I sighed as I went to my room, taking a glimpse of the outside. The sky got dark already... and I gave up.

'There's no way he'll come now, is there?' I asked myself. I however quickly brushed it off, not wanting to give myself false hopes.

Thinking that I went to sleep.

The sheets have never felt so cold before...

And the house has never felt more empty.

* * *

**Ahem... so first of all... I am SO very FUCKING sorry for making you wait so long people, however when writer's block catches up with me it is a big b*tch and refuses to let go... that and a work overload I get from school... take these two and you get... well .. a one long overdue chapter... SORRY! (Q.Q)**

**I love you all (-o.o)-**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	4. Fasting of Twelve Sunrises

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**4. Fasting of twelve sunrises**

(Ciel's POV)

_I've always wished to be concerned about everyone around me... Whilst **you** only seem to be concerned about me._

_However to **understand** you seems too big a struggle to actually carry out... Why is it **me** that you think of so highly?_

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

On the morning of the December 24th Ciel felt as if he really, _really_ will not be able to get up from the bed.

His whole body was hurting - partly from all the trashing around he did during his sleep, but not that he knew that - his mind was fuzzy thanks to a headache, but added to that and maybe the one to be on his mind most of all was, that he simply did not _want_ to get up.

For the first time in four years since the tragedy struck he has planned to spend the Christmas with someone - his aunt Angelina never having time at that time of year, as it was the most hectic time for the company she was taking care of in his stead - yet...

'Why did he have to disappear like that all of sudden?' Ciel had to ask himself as he stared blankly at the canopy of his bed, noting that it was not even light outside, yet.

'Couldn't he have at least told me?' the last of Phantomhives thought sadly, pulling the blanket closer, resolving himself to not get up even more so.

'I wish...'

Ciel however stopped himself abruptly before he could think some more. He felt as if he did not have the right to wish for something. Especially his friend's time, which seemed to not have been given all that willingly, his presence seeming apparently unwanted. Not to mention the feeling of a betrayal that has crept into the sadness of being cut of like that so suddenly.

It _hurt._

Especially after being reassured over and over to never be left alone ever again, as long as he stayed by Sebastian's side. The older boy always said so...

-/-

_It was only fifth day that Ciel has spent in school and he hated it already. He felt like the teachers was a bunch of useless, worthless weirdos. The students around him were even worse... always chattering animatedly about things of no value. Everyone was like that. Except..._

_"Ciel! Good to see you did not drop out yet." a black-haired teen laughed as he came closer to the table Ciel sat at, silently eating his lunch a good few seats away from everyone else._

_"Not far from that, believe me..." Ciel only sighed as Sebastian sat next to him._

_Sebastian, the only reason he did not walk out of the school immediately after stepping through the main gate. Seeing the great mass of people on the school yard Ciel had wanted to do exactly that._

_It was Sebastian who led him to class that first day, having spotted him on the school yard._

_Being an upperclassman, Sebastian did not need to concern himself with Ciel even in the slightest. Ciel however felt grateful and he felt drawn to the taller teen, enjoying his company during breaks as Sebastian always came, seeking Ciel. It was nice somehow..._

_"Don't pull such a sour face." Sebastian laughed, showing of his perfect, white, slightly sharper teeth. "It's not that bad here..."_

_"Are you kidding? I have all_ these_..." significant wave of hand around the room filed with people "... losers around and you say it's not bad? Oh yes and then there's you... trying to keep me here, probably to drag my intelligence quotient down... Who knows, maybe getting away from here would do me good as I would not have to deal with you any longer..." Ciel placed the back of his hand on his forehead, tilting the head back a bit in mock dramatic gesture. He however was soon surprised by the words he got in response to that._

_"I'm never going to leave you... even by the time it gets uncomfortable for you, and you'd rather not see me at all... I'll still be nearby..."_

-/-

'And where are you now?' Ciel could not help but ask himself inwardly. He missed the presence of the other teen close to him. He however was reluctant to admit to himself just why that was. Or at least could not bear to say the words out loud.

And so he only fiddled with the blue-stoned ring on his thumb, his thoughts running in a direction he did not like.

'There is no way Sebastian would return these feelings, or is there?' Ciel asked as he pulled a blanket over his head, remembering the reason for his reluctance to leave the bed in the first place.

'There isn't...'

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

I was restless the whole night.

I was usually thankful for the fact that I could go a few days without a minute of rest without being overly tired. The night from December 23rd to 24th however was not one of those times.

I paced around the garden of the Phantomhive estate most of the day, leaving only when my pocket watch showed two in the morning, long before the sun was to rise, to collect the gifts I had prepared for Ciel.

I only hoped that Ciel would even speak to me.

I never understood the pain of others, who had to go through the_ "Fasting of twelve sunrises"_ with their intended mates... It being the period starting by the demon giving the ring - the first courting gift - or revealing to be the giver - my case - to the intended and ending by revealing our whole identity to them, twelve sunrises later. Our _whole_ identity, our "_true_" form included. Now I did...

The worst on the "_fasting_" was that the demon was not allowed to be seen by the mate in those days... which as if the demon allowed himself to be seen they would transform to their "true" form and attack the first being they laid their eyes upon, it being the mate most of the times.

It could take a form of a purely physical attack, and it was always that when the being they attacked was not the mate.

For the mate it equalled to a sexual abuse in a beastly way, for that is what the demons become in that moment, feelings other than lust, aching need for the mate and blood lust not being present in the demon's mind...

Either way the attack equals death.

The "fasting" has been set up as a safety precaution of sort, it being the time after which it was found safe to meet the mate and try to further the stages of the bonding, it being the second of five stages in the bonding process.

'It's nothing but a torture...' I could only think as I was returning to the Phantomhive estate, still having few hours before the last of the twelve sunrises happened and I could go and see Ciel.

'I would never be able to forgive myself, _to go on living... _if I ever hurt Ciel... not to mention kill him... and in such a manner...' I shuddered.

In the end - trying to distract myself from my own thoughts - I only watched the window to Ciel's room until the first of sun rays started reflecting on it.

Only then I got up from my position and slowly walked to the house where my love has probably just awoken.

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

It was when I noticed the sky getting a bit brighter that a doorbell rang loudly through the mansion.

'It can't be... can it?' I asked myself, getting up from the bed, despite my resolve not to do it. I simply had to see for myself.

I almost ran down the corridor after getting a robe on - the mansion's corridors are awfully cold sometimes - and soon was on the top of the long stairs from top of which I could see the main door.

And indeed there he was. _Sebastian Michaelis_. I remember I had an imaginary friend named Sebastian when I was small... I was actually pretty surprised when I saw Sebastian Michaelis for the first time ,as he reminded me of how I imagined my friend so much...

"Sebastian..." I said quietly, yet it apparently being loud enough for him to hear as he turned to my direction from where Tanaka has let him in. I somehow wondered whether he was even human.

"Ciel.." Sebastian smiled, his still-perfect, white teeth showing. "Long time no see..."

* * *

**Done~ for now, you'll have to wait for the confrontation of the second stage till next time ;p (around _30th_ when lucky (^^;) - too much work to do)**

**Anyway there is a POLL on my PROFILE about the short story I plan to do (though the shortness is questionable xD) PLEASE GO AND VOTE (Drarry is in the lead for now xD)**

**Review? Please? o(0.0)o**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	5. The Aftermath

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**5. The aftermath **

(Ciel's POV)

_I **don't **want to be left here..._

_If I take my eyes off you, will you just** leave **this place?_

_Or is it **me** you want to disappear from here?_

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

_"Ciel.." Sebastian smiled, his white teeth showing. "Long time no see..."_

Ciel just stared blankly at the raven-haired demon, not knowing what to say as he walked slowly down the stairs... like that he soon ended up face to face with Sebastian who went to meet him half-way, waiting for him at the base of the stairs.

Ciel looked at the raven blankly from his second stair... until his speech returned to him.

"You..." he started slowly as his look focused on the face of Sebastian... as soon did his fist.

"You _complete idiot_!" Ciel screamed as he struck the elder_ supposedly_-teen.

_Crunch_

"What the..." Ciel looked dumbly at his hand in which he felt something give out... and it hurt like hell.

Sebastian was quick to reach for Ciel, recovering quickly from the slight shock it gave him when the blue-eyed boy showed such an undiluted, _raw_ streak of emotion the rage was. It was something he has not seen on the boy in a long time.

'Past aside...' Sebastian reprimanded himself as he quickly turned his attention to Ciel who was still staring at his broken wrist as if it would heal thanks to that.

"Let's go upstairs..." Sebastian offered in the end, seeing that Ciel was not really paying much attention him, or anything else aside from the wrist for that matter. He directed the boy up the stairs and soon followed him, leaving the presents for the boy underneath the Christmas tree he saw in the next room. During that he was already trying to figure out what he was to do about the situation that has set in.

It was already meant to be bad... awkward at the best, however this was only going to make it worse. Not to mention that if he did not "lay his soul bare", and admit his demonic nature to Ciel, and the boy either accepted or denied the connection which has formed - or was in process of forming - before the sunrise he was going to lose control over his form for a moment of time even so.

"_The aftermath_" as some demons called it was a short period following "_The fasting_". It basically meant that if a demon was not brave enough to reveal his true form to the intended mate himself, his body would do it for him.

That usually resulted in a mental harm to the mate, as they were not ready, not _prepared_ for something of the sort.

It was yet another catch in the process of courting... And although not deadly like "The fasting" it still proved troublesome... many demons have lost their chance with their intended... simply because they lost track of time...

And that meant that Sebastian had to hurry.

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

'This is so... so... so _fucked up!_... It was not supposed to go like this!' I almost screamed inwardly. It was frustrating to know just how badly the day I was looking forward to since the day I saw Ciel for the first time was progressing. It was _maddening_.

And that Ciel did not stop to stare blankly at his hand still did not help one bit.

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

After half an hour Ciel "returned" to his mind as the pain in his hand started disappearing all of sudden.

"What?" he mumbled as he looked at the end of his very own limb. Only then did he notice that Sebastian was sitting next to him on his bed... and holding the said hurting place to his forehead, mumbling something under his usual tone of voice. Another five minutes later he stopped... and the hand felt as good as new.

"How did you do that?" Ciel asked as he still looked at the now-healed hand in awe of sorts, his eyes then sliding to the nervous demon.

"It's my power..." Sebastian said quietly, not looking the younger boy in the eye.

"Power?" Ciel echoed only. He remembered Sebastian talking something about having "superpowers" as he called it. However he spoke of it as a joke back then. It was not true, right? "Would you care to explain?"

"I don't even know where to start with that..." Sebastian sighed, running his hand through his longer-than-average-teen's hair.

"How about at the start?" Ciel responded only leaning into the headboard of his bed. "We have time to speak, don't we?" Ciel asked in all seriousness. Then however his complexion hardened. "Or are you going to disappear with a _"poof"_ again?" He almost hissed as his eyes narrowed.

"Should I start with that, then?" Sebastian asked in desperation, not something he felt often, mind you, not knowing how to please the angry boy in front of him.

"I have a better idea for a starter." Ciel offered, sounding as if it just appeared in his mind, just as nonchalantly. However knowing Ciel the way he did Sebastian knew that it was what Ciel has wondered about the whole time, waiting for the right moment to ask. Almost like a pilot setting his sight on a goal before dropping a bomb.

"What is the deal about the ring?" he asked, waving his hand in front of the demon's face.

'I only hope it actually helps him to understand...'

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

I listened intently as Sebastian slowly started explaining, from the very start in the end.

How and when he first saw me.

About the ring and how he seemed it inappropriate to just come to me with it after what just happened.

About the school where he only went those two weeks I did, yet not regretting a minute of it though as it actually managed to bring us closer.

He told me about the cake he baked for me, knowing what my preferences were from observing. 'That one is a bit creepy if one were to ask me...'

He however still kept a lot, including the whole "significance" of the ring, not going deeper into that matter... and much more.

It was because of the most pressing question on my mind that I cut him off before he could actually get to the reason for not coming in the last twelve - 'Was it that long?' - days.

"How could you simply "set your eyes on me" all that way back? You said it was like... _six years ago!_ I was_ nine_ six years ago... not to mention that you're only seventeed as far as I know... you'd be eleven! _Freaking eleven_! You'd be almost half your height back then."

I was always amazed just how much my own self-inflicted mask seemed to crumble around Sebastian.

"I still looked like this..." Sebastian said in a soft, almost inaudible voice which I would not hear if not waiting for it.

"Wha-?"

"I'm saying that I wouldn't look different now or then, Ciel." he repeated the content in a longer sentence.

"Explain."

He looked really unsure. Somehow if not angry at him, _fuming inside_, _really_, I would pity him a bit.

The short image of vulnerability however disappeared as fast at it appeared as Sebastian straightened his back and looked me in the eye.

"Ciel... I'm not a human."

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

The silence that overtook the room was almost tangible for that short moment, so dense it was. It however was soon pushed aside by a voice.

"You really mean it..." Ciel whispered, studying the face of the raven closely, finding nothing but sincerity and downright seriousness there.

"I do." came the short answer.

It seemed so surreal. How could his friend he knew for some time already suddenly turn into... into... what was it that he turned into?

"What are you then?" Ciel said in the calmest voice he could manage. It certainly was a lot to take in at once.

"I'm a demon."

"So... you're going to suck my blood or anything?"

_Sigh_ "That's a vampire..."

"Crush my bones then eat me?"

"No, ogres do that..."

"Grow pointy ears and shoot arrows at me?"

"That's an elf..."

"Start breathing fire or something?"

"That would be dragon Ciel... and I'm neither of those... Where do you get these ideas anyway?"

To that Ciel shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to imagine under demon... Aside from them making contracts to eat the person's soul afterwards..."

"_That_ is what demons do... it is not necessary for them though. They all have some common powers like strength, power and speed, however there are some that are up to five differing powers from demon to demon... I, aside from the other you'd rather not want to know now, have aptitude to healing for some reason." Sebastian admitted.

"What do you want from _me_ then?" Ciel asked, his mind still whirling around the very reason for him sitting on his bed... listening to a demon apparently. "What use am I to you, as a human..."

"When I told you I "set my eyes on you" I meant exactly that. For demons the search for who they want to be their mate is not about age. It's about the feeling, a resonance of sorts..."

"And the ring?" Ciel asked, finally seeing at least a bit where this was leading to.

"It's a... sort of _claim_ on you I'd say... Demons give the ones they want as their mate the ring to keep other demons from them."

"So... for demons... me having this ring on is like screaming "Sebastian wants me!" to the air?" Ciel asked tilting his head.

"Strange way to put it, but yes, that's about what it means to them." Sebastian answered, almost bursting out laughing. Ciel surely could be a funny person.

Ciel went quiet for a while once that was said. He only broke the silence a while later, speaking softly.

"Can I just... think about this for a while?" he asked, fiddling with the ring on his thumb, a sure sign of nervousness.

"I'd appreciate shorter than longer, but yeah, feel free to do so..." Sebastian laughed, inwardly he was panicking however. What if Ciel had not come to decision on time? He could not even tell Ciel about "The aftermath" it was against the rules set ages back.

"How about we try to bake something?" Sebastian offered, trying to make himself not think of the possible consequences.

"Huh?"

"_B-a-k-e_ you know, cake or something... you have quite a sweet tooth, might as well try to teach you to do something... not to mention it's a great way to pass time, we have a full day of free time anyway, the gifts are for tomorrow, so..."

The way Ciel's face lit up, even if the boy himself may have not been aware of it, spoke for itself.

"So cake it is..." Sebastian laughed. He was then all but dragged to the kitchen.

-/-/-

Later that day, sitting over a tea and the half-eaten cake the two of them fell asleep. Even Sebastian has been caught up on his lack of sleep for the past twelve days.

Neither of them however realized what consequences that might have in the following morning.

* * *

**Done for now~**

**Hope you enjoyed. The _next chapter_ will come sometimes at the _end of year_. I don't have that much time, and I want to concentrate on my HP fic which I want done around Christmas at most... I hope you'll be patient till then (^^;)**

**Also, the POLL people! It's about the fic I'm going to start after the HP one. It's on my profile, please do vote (^^) - there are two choices possible btw.**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	6. The Dying Ember

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**6. The dying ember**

(Sebastian's POV)

_**Don't** look at me, please... I'm afraid to see **fear** in your eyes. I won't be able to bear if you're afraid of **me**._

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

Ciel woke up to a strange growling sound, at the morning of December 25th.

Funny, it is a morning a lot children wake up to all excited, bright smiles lightening up their faces.

After waking up however Ciel could only stare in shock at the creature which was seemingly clawing at its hair.

Once snapping from the initial shock Ciel's first thought was to run away. However one could not be sure what would that rash decision cause and so he opted to backing up slowly, not even daring to stand up.

That however did not go unnoticed by the other being in the room and it soon extended its claws in Ciel's direction, baring its sharp teeth when it opened its mouth as it advanced on Ciel.

"No!"

It was more of an instinct to try to protect himself verbally for Ciel and so he did not expect it to have some effect on creature. What his surprise however was when the creature actually stopped, its cat-like red eyes sliding to the claws still extended in Ciel's direction.

The next action of the creature was even more unpredictable one, because it was at that moment the eyes - which for some reason seemed to fill with grief - slid to the claws that they suddenly shot up to the creature's head and the being started tearing at its own hair, howling almost pitifully.

'Why is it doing that?' Ciel could only think in half-analysing, half-amazed trail of thoughts. 'Why would it damage itself?'

At that the creature looked at him, and started backing from him hunching its shoulders, and only ended doing so when it looked like a small ball in the corner of the room which was quite a feat to accomplish as the creature was quite a tall one.

It was at that moment that Ciel's thoughts suddenly slid to yesterday... which in turn made him think of the other person which should be in the room and was not. A person that has spent most of the day before trying to explain their non-human nature.

And it all clicked.

"Sebastian?" Ciel asked shakily as he saw the creature shield itself from him, clawing at its arms, as if not wanting to lash out... it seemed to be a more of a self-inflicted punishment though.

At the sound of his voice the creature, the _demon_, Ciel realized, turned to him.

Ciel could almost feel the sadness that welled in the demon's eyes and he would have sworn that the eyes were turning glassy with unshed tears... He realized that this day certainly shouldn't have happened like _this_. It was something he could have prevented, if only he made up his mind sooner... and it made him steel his resolve even more so.

"Sebastian..." he repeated, coming closer to the demon in which he could see the Sebastian he knew clearly. Even as the creature tried to back from him - which at that point was pretty-much impossible - he continued, changing the place of the ring which suddenly felt too tight around his thumb to his index finger. That motion the demon eyed curiously.

"I accept." he whispered, as his hand rested on the demon's face, not minding the sharp teeth peeking from the half-opened mouth. "I want to be your mate."

And suddenly with a flash of light there was the "human" Sebastian again... hugging him for dear life.

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

I woke up to an all too familiar feeling of my bones accommodating themselves to the change. Not a pleasant thing I'd say if someone were to ask me.

It however made me be in alert quickly. For I knew what was happening immediately. There were not many events in which the demon's body started changing to its true form by itself.

'The aftermath!' my mind screamed. I should have known not to fall asleep... but I was so exhausted and when finally seeing Ciel...

It was at that moment that the last of changes the sharpening and elongating of the teeth started happening and I started clawing at my hair for the sake of thinking about anything else. It however was also the moment Ciel woke up next to me, something I did not realize until I saw movement from that direction.

When I turned to where Ciel should be I could only see his retreating form and I advanced in that direction immediately, reaching out for him.

'Ciel...' I wanted to say and had every intention to do so, however I always had a bit of problems with using my vocal cords when in the "demon form", something my father always berated me for...

"No!"

...And I could finally see why my father did so.

It was at that moment that my eyes slid to my hands and I realized what Ciel saw. Claws... extended in his direction with what may seem like an intention of hurting.

'How stupid can I get? Of course he would not want_ these_ anywhere near him!' I wanted to scream... even that however my form would not allow me and so, as I teared at my hair for stupidity I resorted to the only loud sound I could produce in my current form. Howling.

I did not want Ciel to see me like that. Not when I could not do a thing about it... and so I did the only thing I could, started backing off, away from him... to make the distance between the two of us bigger, trying to make myself smaller than was physically possible...

I berated at myself for my stupidity. For ever _thinking_ that someone like me could possibly be with someone like Ciel. Of course _us_ was never meant to happen... but I still foolishly believed there was a chance...

Clawing at my hands I grieved for the future I wanted to build for us, for all the ways I wanted to try to make Ciel feel better with himself, with his past, with _everything..._

For the dying ember of the hope I had for us.

Somehow when looking at him sometimes I could still see the scared child who collapsed when running into that bedroom which was by then on fire... I could see how his heart has covered itself in protective layers made of ice after that, them making Ciel all the more sad and sadder as each day passed.

I _so_ wanted to rid him of these layers completely. To melt them with the heat of my passion. With the heat of my love. However that all seemed in vain now...

'If only I was not so stupid.' I despaired, willing the tears I felt tried to make appearance away. 'If only I was not such a fool... Why would Ciel ever want _me?'_ I grieved to myself. 'Why would he even recognize me in this monster he sees? Who would ever want to know a monster?'

Then however a miracle happened.

"Sebastian?" a shaky voice I loved so much asked, causing my head to turn to him immediately.

What I saw in these eyes did not surprise me so much. Regret. After all who would not regret getting to know a demon?

"Sebastian..." Ciel repeated as he came closer, something I did not expect him to do. Maybe he wanted to punch me first?

As much as I wanted to have Ciel near me, I did not want _him_ to be near _me_ and so I tried to back off from him even more... which I soon realized was not possible.

Even as he slid the ring off his finger I was not too surprised... until he placed it on his index finger, it being something I _definitely_ did not expect him to do.

'What is he doing?' I could not help but ask myself, feeling the dying embers of my hope start lightening up just a tiny bit.

"I accept." he whispered, placing his hand on my cheek, caressing it almost as his face lit up a small smile. "I want to be your mate."

Suddenly I saw the flash of light which always accompanied the turning to human form, the pain only lasting a split second... And sooner than I knew I was hugging him, as if wanting to hug the life out of him - which I did not - Dead Ciel, bad Ciel - I just wanted to touch him so much. I even did not care about the tears that now slid down my cheeks unbound. I only cared for the smaller body in my arms. For the body... for the heart in it, for its blue, _perfect_ eyes... and for everything else which was _my_ perfect Ciel when put together.

"Thank you..." I said into the crook of his neck as I clung onto him as a life-line... which he really was... and I wanted to prove that to him every day... and I knew with what I could start.

"I love you..." I whispered, only wanting to pass that message onto him.

Ciel however was someone to always surprise me. And that day was no different. He has proved that once already, however he still wanted to continue it seemed as he took my face into his hands and placed a small kiss on my lips - pretty salty by then, I could guess.

"I love you too..." he whispered back. His face lightening with the brightest of smiles I ever saw on his face till that moment.

Maybe the ember is not meant to die sometimes...

* * *

**Done~**

**I decided not to be a b*tch and keep you waiting since I had an anti-writer's-block and wrote this all at once... hmm... I hope you liked it (^^)**

**The next chapter really will not come before the new Year's though this time :p **

**The POLL most of you surely know of is still on my profile... please do vote (^w^) I will probably close it on Christmas and the winner will be published from sometime in January and on.**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	7. Emotions, Marks and Life-time Bonds

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**7. Emotions, marks and life-time bonds**

(Sebastian's POV)

_Either I was dreaming, or the best thing in my life has just happened. It did happened, right?_

_Is it even possible that something **such** as great has happened? __It must have been **a** miracle indeed._

_Do I really deserve someone so **beautiful**? Isn't this **emotion** just the best thing one can experience?_

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

Ciel was feeling _happy_ for the first time since... long ago.

It felt somehow _liberating_ to put the feelings he had for the demon into words. Finally _acknowledging_ their existence to himself. And he was happy that they were returned also.

Love.

Such an estranged emotion for Ciel. It was an emotion he has refused to let himself feel the day his parents died. He felt somehow _unworthy_ of love, thinking that he should have been in the house also when it burned down to ashes. He refused to let himself try to fall for somebody as a punishment of sorts.

However love is an unpredictable emotion... And it just happens sometimes, right? And when looking at Sebastian... When hearing about the lengths he went to just ro win his affection Ciel knew that saying the words out loud has been the right thing to do.

It was endearing how positively... _glowing_ Sebastian seemed the whole time since the simple exchange of words of love happened.

They were both really enjoying the time together they spent after the disasterous-turn-fantastic Christmas morning and the whole month after Sebastian came over almost every day... one of the only exceptions being the reluctantly promised visit of Ciel's to the annoying being called Elizabeth and his visit to his auntie Red as he called her the day after.

'To get a better opinion of humankind.' he explained to Sebastian when asked about that.

The glow of the emotions stayed all that time, never leaving even as the snow on the landscape soon started to melt and it was nearing spring.

Until it one day turned into Sebastian _really_ glowing.

-/-/-

"Ahem, Sebastian?" Ciel started hesitantly, looking at the demon who was engrossed in decorating the latest baked speciality of his with cream... while every square inch of his exposed skin glowed with a subtle, gentle light which was giving him an ethereal look.

At the sound of his name being called Sebastian turned around, revealing his perfectly white teeth as he smiled widely.

"Yes, my sweet?" he asked, his hands continuing his decorating work without an inch of hesitation even as he was not concentrating on the activity. How he did that Ciel could only winder. He however chose to not think of that for the time being as he asked the question which was on the forefront his mind.

"What's with all the... _light?" _

"Ah, that... I forgot about that..." Sebastian said simply as he looked at his glowing hand.

"That is possible?" Ciel asked as he placed his head on his arms which he crossed on the table, still looking at Sebastian with slight amusement. "How in the name of whoever demons look up to can you forget you're _glowing?"_

"Quite easy, believe me." Sebastian smiled, placing a marzipan rose in the center of his white cake, making it finished thus as he placed it in front of Ciel. "I have much more appealing being to look at." he winked, causing Ciel's cheeks to get a hue of pink which seemed to please him greatly. And as he reveled in the younger boy's blush he took Ciel's hand and placed a kiss on the ring on it which has been placed on the middle finger by then.

"We can talk about it later if you want..." he offered, sitting in front of Ciel once he handed him a knife and placed two cups of tea, two little plates and two spoons on the table. "Now it's time you enjoy your cake."

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

Whilst I watched Ciel dig into yet another piece of cake I could not help but smile fondly.

"You're like a creepy old man now, you know?" Ciel pointed at me with his spoon. "Watching me eat and all that while grinning to himself..."

"It's not like I really care, you know?" waving my hand in "whatever" manner. That however brought Ciel back to the glow that was still present around my whole body.

"Really, just what is the purpose of it?" he asked, before stuffing the whole marzipan rose he had on plate into his mouth.

"Purpose? I don't really know if there is some..." I said truthfully. "The significance though..." I trailed off.

It took me one look at the mouth-still-occupied-with-marzipan Ciel who was narrowing his eyes at me and it was clear that he wanted me to continue.

"Well... It is a sign of another stage of bonding complete... Earning of an unwavering trust..." Sebastian smiled, pointing at the ring which was bound to move every time a stage was completed... except for the last one.

"It however also means that the next stage is to take place and for that the time is quite short... I actually expected it to happen later, one of the reasons I did not tell you yet... Not to mention that it should have appeared a bit later after the stage completed. It probably has something to do with the fact that you accepted the bond during the Aftermath, something which pretty-much never happens."

"Continue." Ciel ordered, as he started sipping on his tea.

"It means that we should finish the last two stages including the consummation of the bond soon."

At the shower I got from Ciel's sputtered tea I could only think that I should have predicted to not tell him that in a moment his mouth is full of the brown liquid.

"C-consummation?" he stuttered adorably, his cheeks reddening.

"Umm, yes, said simply."

"What would be saying it in a difficult and - or - longer way?"

I grinned at the question. "The longer explanation would be that after the next stage of a bond which is saying the bonding vows and the ring resonance tied to it we should indulge ourselves in consuming our bond in a sexual manner and it has to be done in quite a short amount of time."

"You're impossible." Ciel groaned, burying his still-red face in his hands, looking at me through spaces between his fingers.

'Adorable. No other word for that.'

I soon found out that I did not really need to search as Ciel continued asking.

"How long?"

"A month." I answered, knowing full-well what he was asking about. Given the shyness oozing from the whispered question it would not be that hard to guess anyway.

"And you'll be glowing all that time?"

"Well... yes, until the bond is complete I'll be glowing as you say." I admitted. "It might get stronger in time, or after the bonding vows... depends on how strong the bond is going to get."

"There are differences?" Ciel asked, curiosity clear in his voice whilst none showed on his face. I still had to work on him showing his emotions a bit.

"There are. For example there are "Loose bonds"... It pretty much means that the demon and the mate are tied by the ceremony - the demon maturing and coming to full power and the mate's life lengthened as a result - however that's about it. These only happens when the mate is human as for two demons there is no need for that. It's a sort of contract for the involved pair only. It pretty-much means that while bonded neither of the two really care for fidelity..."

"I DON'T WANT ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" Ciel shot up from his seat. It was almost astonishing how determined to get that message across he seemed. How much _emotion_ was there in those words.

I however had no time to admire that as as soon as my mind formed the answer to that - my own affirmation to that very same point - I felt a burning pain on my right hand... and Ciel crumpled to the floor, screaming in pain, his hands on his face.

I ignored my pain for a moment and was down on the floor, next to my mate immediately. Prying his hands from his face I nearly fell over from shock when he opened his eyes, looking at me.

"Impossible..." I whispered as I reached out and placed hand over his right eye from which blood poured in a scary speed. Invoking my healing powers it stopped soon after. The source of it however, the _change_ which has happened has stayed the same.

Looking first at the eye than at my source of pain I was not surprised by what I saw there.

"Sebastian?" a voice brought me out of my reverie however and I turned to look into Ciel's face, seeing the confusion over what has just happened. "What has just happened?" he asked, taking my bleeding hand into both of his.

"That, my sweet, was you invoking a Life-time bond."

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

_"That, my sweet, was you invoking a Life-time bond."_

"What?" I could not help but gasp as the words left Sebastian's mouth. "What did I do to you?" I could not help but despair as I looked at the bleeding mark on his hand.

"It's not exactly a one-way agreement, my sweet, believe me." Sebastian smiled sadly as he pointed to my eye which has been in great pain until Sebastian took it away.

'It felt almost if someone carved...' at my own thoughts I stopped myself, looking from Sebastian to his hand as one of my hands shot up to my eye. "I need a mirror!"

Sooner than would be humanly possible Sebastian was already holding one before my face. Who knew where he got it. As soon as it got to my hands however I almost dropped it as a mark identical to the one that now marred Sebastian's perfect pale skin literally stared at me from the mirror, from my eye which had taken a purplish sheen to it.

"Wha-what does it mean?" I could only get out of myself, looking at Sebastian in search of an answer. Surprisingly enough I still saw everything as I did... ever with a pentagram in place of my pupil and iris.

"As I said, you invoked a Life-time bond... the thing is I've never even heard about it happening so... spontaneously... not to mention triggered by words of a human."

"But _what_ exactly is a Life-time bond?"

"Just what it indicates." Sebastian said as if it was the most common thing under the sun. Then his mouth curled into a grin. "That means that you're stuck with me for _forever_." he smiled wickedly.

"Details?" I could not help but ask. I was shocked when I heard Sebastian speak about the Loose bond as if it was nothing. I could not imagine tying myself to someone like that. I _loved_ Sebastian. With all I had. I wanted _him_ to belong to me only and for _me_ to belong to him only. That wasn't that much to ask, wasn't it?

"Life-time bond as you may have caught on is exactly that, a for-life and unbreakable bond. Once the bonding is complete I will reach my maturity and you will get a life equally long as mine for once one of us dies in this bond, so does the other. It is one of reasons not many demons form that bond with humans, they think that it would hinder them, bring them down. Also unlike the Loose bond there is a complete fidelity required. Once one of the mates betrays the other in such way they both die... you follow me so far?" Sebastian asked. He must have noticed me paling.

I only nodded dumbly as I continued listening.

"The Life-time bond also may cause you to take on some of the demon characteristics once completed... meaning you might get a power of your own. It would be just one though..." Sebastian stopped for a while, studying the mark on his hand, then continued.

"With the bond also comes the _"Marking"_. The place it appears on has its significance also... For demon the closer to right hand - which is where most of their power is gathered - the stronger the bond." Sebastian explained as he waved his right glowing hand, getting across that it was indeed going to be a close bond on his part.

"And for humans?" I wanted to know. It would be devastating somehow if my subconsciousness was showing Sebastian that he was worth less in my eyes... literally.

"Given that for humans sight is their main sense it's said the closer to the eye the stronger. Never seen it appear _in_ the eye though." Sebastian smiled as he cupped my cheek. "I should know better than to expect any less from you, shouldn't I?"

I did not really know how to respond to that and so we stayed silent for a while. Until yet another question appeared on my mind.

"But if it is all supposed to happen after bonding... How is it possible that the.. _marks_ appeared now?"

"That, my sweet I don't know." Sebastian sighed, reaching for a piece of cake on the table, handing me one also.

"But who can tell us that?" I wondered before I bit into the cake.

"Someone who I believe is on their wa-..."

The words he was about to say however were cut off by a sound of doorbell.

As the sound resounded through the huge house Sebastian grinned only.

"Here she comes."

* * *

**Done for now~**

**You curious about who is behind the door? xD**

**Just thought that you'd want to know that the POLL ended with a HP fic as a winner. (TOP 3 is posted on my profile) Sorry guys, maybe next poll. (^^)**

**Also, before I forget, as you may have noticed I created a main picture for the story, I hope you like it~**

**Review, please? o(O.O)o**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	8. The Visitor and Her Accusations

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**8. The visitor and her accusations**

(Ciel's POV)

_Am I not worthy of **love**? Was it wrong of me to think that we could stay together?_

_Why do the words which should not be able to sway me bite into my mind so deeply? It **hurts** so much._

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

_"Here she comes." _Sebastian grinned only, already making his way out of the room and for the entrance hall.

Ciel did not speak as he walked after the demon slowly, looking after the raven as he advanced to the door. He was not sure what to expect once the piece of the wood will swing inside and reveal the person Sebastian was sure was there. Just who was "her"?

-/-/-

Whatever Ciel expected, the woman behind the door certainly was not even close to.

Long, black, wavy hair reaching down to the woman's waist. Slitted red eyes. Teeth too white and too sharp to be considered even remotely human. And was it just him or did she look a lot like...

"Hello mother." Sebastian smiled at the woman.

And Ciel had tried his best to keep his jaw in place and not let it hit the floor...

... That proved kind of hard when the woman who could only be just about Ciel's height jumped to smack her glowing son up the head.

_"Sebastian!_ How could you not tell me and your father about your process of bonding!" she reprimanded him once she landed on her feet gracefully, still frying her son with a glare.

"And to think that I had to get to know it from a Seer! A _Seer_ Sebastian! You know full well just how much I hate that idiot chinese whatever he is! He only keeps getting the visions from dosing himself with opium he loves so much anyway. What did Lucifer think when he allowed him to roam on the surface of Earth anyway?" the woman kept on rambling her frustrations out.

"And as a crown to that he and that _chic_ he has bound to him and he claims to be his "little sister" were all over each other the whole time! Which is disgusting." the woman shuddered, then returned to the point of her rant. "If you even do something like this _ever_ again Sebastian, I am going to hang you above the Fiery pits by your toes for a _year!"_

As far as Ciel could tell from the way Sebastian's smile froze on his face "Fiery pits" certainly were not a term demons used for a vacation resort.

"Thanks for that grand welcoming monologue mother..." Sebastian said, still smiling stiffly. "I felt you were coming... Which however was not soon enough for me to be able to warn a certain someone about you... How about you get to know him before throwing me into the throes of torture?"

It was at those words only that the woman whipped her head around to look straight at Ciel who was looking at her dumb-founded.

"Is that him?" she asked, not tearing her eyes off the boy, getting a soft, _proud_ sound of affirmation as a way of agreeing from her son.

Hearing what she needed she soon appeared next to the boy, nearly knocking him over with the suddenness of that. Being in the close distance it however was not only Ciel who has lost his footing and the demoness looked at the mark in he boy's purplish eye in wonder.

"Sebastian! How could you not tell me?!" she asked angrily as she took Ciel's face into her hands, turning to her son who appeared by her side at that moment. "I as your mother have every right to know of my son being bonded!"

"Mother..." Sebastian wanted to explain, however he was cut off.

"Don't you "Mother" me young man! There was supposed to be a grand bonding ceremony for you and your mate with whole family gathered and it being done by the Lucifer himself! He promised your father to do that after we helped him in the Great War! Do you know just how powerful a bonding that would be? Just how it would stabilise the standing which others try to rid us off?" the demoness asked her son as her hold on Ciel's face tightened. The small whimper of pain however went unnoticed by the two demons.

"And I was supposed to be the proud mother who was supposed to decorate the hall with Lycorises and the one to give my son away and you only apparently involved this knave's family and left us out of it!" she voiced her displeasure angrily then turned to Ciel, her red eyes blazing. "And _you!_ You're the one to have caused this! You must have wanted to hurry the bonding! You wanted your near-immortality soon, didn't you? Aren't your parents the least bit ashamed of you for doing this?"

That was the literal last drop to make the goblet overflow and Ciel's eyes filled with tears as he wriggled out of the woman's grasp, the sharp nails, _claws_ almost, leaving a trail on his cheeks as he did so. After that he ran down the stairs.

"Ciel!" Sebastian cried out, intending to run after the boy...

"Leave me _alone!"_

... Hearing the desperation for the solitude in the voice of his younger mate at that moment he however decided he needed to set things straight first and let Ciel run further into the grande house of Phantomhive.

"Hey! I am not finished yet!" the woman screeched. Before she could follow the crying boy she was stopped enraged son.

"Stop it mother!" Sebastian roared.

"How dare you raise your voice at _me?!"_

"How dare you accuse Ciel of anything?!" Sebastian yelled instead of answering. "You don't know a first thing about him!"

"He's only using you for his gain, don't you see that?!" the woman screamed back, waving her hand in the direction of where the young master of Phantomhive house ran off.

"He is _not! I_ have been the one to pursue him! _I_ was the one to give him the bonding ring, or did you forget me ever telling you about that? Have you forgotten half of everything I've told you ever since we moved here mother?"

At those words the woman got taken aback a little. "Wait... You mean to tell me that was..."

"Ciel, yes! That was him mother. Sky-blue. _My_ Sky-blue. My sweet. Mother, have you gone blind?" Sebastian's voice broke at the last sentence, his heart reaching out to where its despairing other half was.

"And by that you imply what?" the woman's eyes narrowed, her anger returning.

"The _mark_ mother... Even if we did bond in secret, the mark of a Life-time bond would not have appeared where it did. It was _eye_ mother. His _bloody **eye!**_ How can you overlook the significance of _that?"_ Sebastian said in a sad voice, cradling his hurting right hand to his chest. With the distance Ciel put between them by running away the pain was only going to intensify as the time went, the bond yet to be fully formed and all that.

"You have the mark also..." the woman said in disbelief as she took in her son's hurting hand in her own. Then however wording of what her son has just said fully processed in her mind. "Did you just say: "_Even if_ we did?"" she asked, searching for the answer in the young demon's face.

"We did not bond yet mother." Sebastian said, snatching his hand back from his mother's hold. "I hoped to find the reason with your help, but... Could you just leave now?"

"Sebastian..."

"Mother, no..." the addressed demon shook his head. "I trusted you to be calm about this, to support me, _us_ in this... but then you come and just strike at Ciel at where it hurts him the most... I..."

"What do you mean by that?" the demoness asked, not understanding.

"Don't you ever listen to me mother?" Sebastian only sighed as he walked down the stairs, the woman slowly following until she was just behind the doors.

"Nearly whole Ciel's family is dead." the young demon said in a mournful voice. He did not want to speak of the dead. He was more worried with the still-living Phantomhive male and so he parted with his mother with his last words, closing the door.

It was these words which then stayed on the mind of the demoness reminding her of her grave mistake.

_"It will be your fault if I die."_

-/-/-

Once the door after his mother snapped closed Sebastian took off into the direction his love has taken. It was not hard to get to the desired goal, for the demon's whole being screamed for its mate, even if the bonding was not complete yet.

'It must have something to do with the marks.' Sebastian mused as he stopped in front of the door he never expected to find his love behind. Yet the soft sobs he heard were an undeniable proof that this one room was exactly where the last man of Phantomhive was.

"Ciel?" Sebastian whispered softly as he knocked on the door behind which the recreated Master bedroom was. The very room in which the downhill of Ciel's life started.

"Go away..." came a muffled reply.

"Ciel, please..."

_"Go away!_ Go to her! Or is she there with you?" Ciel's voice rose to a whole new pitch.

"She's gone, I sent her away." Sebastian said truthfully, his eyes landing on the hand he's placed on the door. The mark which had been inflicted only that day was standing out in stark contrast to his pale skin, it however was not something which worried Sebastian for he was pleased to have the mark there. It was more of the fact that the mark started bleeding again which made him worried.

Because if his own mark was hurting, what about Ciel? What pain was being inflicted on him?

"Really?" the near-whisper would not be heard if not for Ciel who has moved places and was at that moment just on the other side of the door.

"I _swear_ she is not here anymore Ciel. Let me in, _please."_

The soft _creak_ of the opened door which came in response equalled to the bells of happiness in Sebastian's mind, for they revealed Ciel who was still partly hidden behind them and was looking at Sebastian searchingly.

"Thank you." Sebastian smiled as he was let into the room. The first thing he did once that happened was placing a soft kiss on Ciel's lips whilst holding his hand over the yet-again-bleeding eye to stop any further damage. Once that was done he took Ciel's face into his hands and started healing the scratches which still marred the pale skin.

"I'm sorry." he whispered as he did so, resting his forehead against Ciel's. "I really did not expect her to react like this."

"It's normal for a parent to fear for their children." Ciel whispered. "But... but..."

"I know, she went _ways_ overboard." Sebastian soothed the younger boy, holding him close. He wanted to rid Ciel of all the tears he had yet to cry... the tears which had gathered for longer than healthy. And letting them run free seemed like the best way to make them hurt less.

And that was what he did.

He held the boy to his heart as the dams finally broke and Ciel sobbed out all the pain over the loss so painfully thrown in his face. Rocking the smaller body softly Sebastian whispered words of love and encouragement to the boy's ear throughout the time and it seemed to help, however little.

For that at least Sebastian was grateful.

* * *

**Done~**

**I actually wrote almost the whole chapter in one go... dunno where the inspiration came from, but I am grateful for this chapter is still up later than I would have wanted it to... as are most of my chapters lately, given that my free time got cut by... like A LOT... I'm trying though. (^^;) .. Sorry about that anyway. Love you~ (^^)/ **

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	9. The Time Has Come

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**9. The time has come**

(Ciel's POV)

_Why is it that only **you** make me feel safe**,** why?_

_If **only** I was able to bring that sort of closure to you also, but that is not what you want from me. To be the strong one. I know that much._

_What is it that **you** want from me?_

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

Sebastian looked at the sleeping figure of Ciel, lying next to him on the big bed the boy owned.

The demon did that the whole night, running his hair through the short hair of his intended slowly, keeping the nightmares which would be otherwise drawn to Ciel after the day's events at bay.

'Should have predicted something of the sort.' the demon sighed to himself, thinking of the disaster his mother caused. 'She always is quick to jump to conclusions... If that is her reaction how is father going to react?'

As the boy next to him stirred a thought appeared in the demon's mind. 'How would Ciel's parents react?'

Sebastian felt almost guilt at the painful irony of the situation.

He as a demon of age which exceeded the average length of human life still had parents, whilst Ciel lost his before being barely half the age which humans consider maturity.

'Not that I'd want to get rid of them, but...' it felt unfair somehow.

Sebastian's thought got cut short when the warm body lying next to him shifted closer to him, wrapping the arms around his waist, mumbling something into his chest.

Sebastian did not need to hear what was being said. He could be damning all the demons to hell or rambling about not having enough cakes and Sebastian would not care.

For him the fact that Ciel has forgiven him his mistake... that he did not hold his mother's reaction against him, enough to feel safe in his presence... _that_ meant more than anything.

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

It was long past sunrise when I felt the boy in my arms move away, the eyes covered with mist of sleepiness looking up at me.

"Sebastian?" he asked, the last part of my name disappearing in a jaw-cracking yawn. "What time is it?"

"A time for late breakfast, maybe?" I could not help but chuckle as his stomach gave a growl demanding food. Ciel has not eaten anything from that marzipan cake he ate the day before... and that was before lunch. Was it really only yesterday?

"Hmm... I like the sound of that." he said as he slid off te bed and walked to his closet, only to resort to blindly rummaging through his clothes once he did not spot anything he wanted to wear the first time he looked.

"Pancakes? Fried eggs? Cake?" I asked, knowing the answer beforehand. It does not hurt to ask though.

And indeed the answer "Cake." came off his lips only seconds later.

"Your wish is my command, my sweet." I snickered and as I was just closing the door behind myself I could hear his response.

"Sweet, hmm... maybe a chocolate?" he mumbled to himself. Maybe he was not quite awake yet.

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

As Sebastian presented his latest creation to Ciel the boy in question only stared in wonder. It always amazed him just how precise the demon could be in something as... _human_ as making pastries. All the more as it always was something done for him.

Digging into the cake which seemed to be more chocolate than flour and eggs Ciel only hummed in delight, feeling as the tension he felt build up since the morning left his posture. He felt that yesterday's, the source of the tension, was going to be brought up again. And indeed it was few minutes later, just as Ciel started devouring yet another piece of the chocolate heaven that the demon spoke up.

"I'm sorry."

Ciel's head snapped up at the words. Those indeed were not the words he expected to hear. After all, Sebastian has apologised to him more than enough already.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for what happened yesterday." the demon elongated his sentence. "I should have considered mother's... temper and warn you beforehand. Or her for that matter."

Ciel felt bad for making the one who means so much to him feel the way he does. It felt kind of unfair. After all it was not Sebastian's fault that his mother acted the way she did. At least not directly. And it felt all the more wrong when he heard him apologise for it.

"I'm sorry, too." Ciel sighed, standing up to walk over to Sebastian who has kept his distance from him throughout the morning. "I overreacted, it was wrong of me to take it out on you." he continued as he wrapped his arms around the demon. "I love you, you know?"

The sharp-teethed smile of his still-glowing mate never looked so pretty to Ciel as it did at that moment. "I love you, too."

And it was at that very moment, as they leaned closer and kissed, that everything seemed right. Perfect even.

Just how much the two prayed that it would always stay like that.

-/-/-

After they resolved the tension over the "incident" - as the two took to call it - the peace between the lovers returned and the days which followed were full with happiness neither of them would imagine to feel only months before.

They spoke.

They laughed.

They kissed. The intensity of the kisses increasing each time, hands hardly ever staying in one place. Exploring each other's bodies through their senses has become something both indulged in happily.

Like that days passed.

Happily.

Easily.

Freely.

It was one of those happy days that Sebastian noticed the intensity of the glow his body emitted to brighten. So did Ciel.

"Is it time already?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's middle, burying his face into the chest of the demon.

"I think it is..." Sebastian concluded, as he first planted kisses on the to of Ciel's head, then put a distance between them which would just allow a fiery kiss which left both of them breathless.

"I love you." Sebastian said softly, looking into the mis-matched eyes which he loved as much as the owner of them. For in them he could see that those feelings went both ways.

"Love you, too." the boy responded smiling. Even if there was no need to say the words, the marks being a proof enough, it made Ciel giddy to be able to say and hear them, enjoying immensely the fluttering feeling of butterflies in his stomach every time the words were exchanged.

"Are you sure about it?" Sebastian asked, a flash of worry appearing on his face for a brief moment.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, there's the ceremony... the consummation... and then..."

"... the eternity." Ciel almost purred. Sebastian would have never guessed that the boy can produce such a sound. "An eternity with you Sebastian... I am more than ready for that."

"Let me make this right then." Sebastian smiled, lowering on one knee. As he did so he took a chain he always wore around his neck. The chain with a ring which was identical to Ciel's but for the colour of the stone, which was red.

He took the ring and placed it on his palm, reaching out with the other hand to take one of Ciel's into his. The hand which had the ring on it already.

Placing the two hands together, feeling the crackling power as the rings touched Sebastian started.

"Ciel, since I've first laid my eyes on you, I've known that you are the other half of my incomplete soul. I have waited for a long time and would wait until the end of world if that was what you wanted... My chance has however come sooner, and so I intend to take it. Ciel, my sweet, will you bond with me?"

At the words Ciel felt tears gather in the corners of his eyes. Tears of happiness he for a long time thought himself to be unable to produce. He however cared about the tears only a little, for there was something in which a lot more was sure to come.

"Yes."

* * *

**Done~**

**I am sorry that even though you waited a long time the chapter is a bit shorter than usual... it is however significant, and is an "intro" for the following one, which will have the Bonding ceremony and yeah the "Wedding" night in it. (for those of you who asked me 'bout it, see it's within reach xD)**

**Review? Please? (OwO)/**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


	10. Kisses and More, For a Lifetime

**- The Layer of Ice -**

**10. Kisses and more... For a lifetime.**

(Ciel's POV)

_Let us be together for **eternity**._

_**That's** what you told me you want for us._

_**All** of it._

_I don't even have to think of it to know that it is what **I**, the person I always thought to be the most unworthy of something, **want** also._

_For you._

_For me._

_**For us**._

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

After the initial and pretty formal acceptance of the bonding the preparations soon took place.

In fact they came so fast that Ciel's head was spinning from excitement. Especially as he looked himself in the mirror and saw himself, all ready and dressed up in white, the bonding about to take place.

"Are you nervous?"

"You have no idea Auntie Angelina." Ciel sighed as a woman with flaming red hair came into his vision. She has been helping him out from as soon as she got to know about her only nephew getting bonded.

Bonded, not married. Married could be only said in human sense of the word. Bonding was something which went much deeper. And that was the first thing Ciel had to tell his only living part of family about.

Angelina had been told everything with approval from Sebastian. _Everything,_ including filling her on the non-human status of everyone attending the bonding ceremony, except for her and her nephew.

It was not as if she wouldn't be able to suspect something. The changes which were clear to see on Ciel were a deadly giveaway anyway. After all, it was not exactly common in "human" world to walk around with a pentacle engraved in one's eye. And there were more "eccentricities" to appear in the guest attendance.

"I was nervous at my wedding also." the woman broke Ciel out of his inner recollection with a sad smile. It reminded Ciel that there was no one whom his aunt would have, were he to die also.

"You must have been beautiful."

"I guess... I've never worn that much white before... or after." Angelina chuckled.

"Maybe you will. Sometime in the future." Ciel smiled. "Maybe you'll even meet someone here?"

"Who knows, maybe I will..." the red-headed woman said wistfully. Then however her mouth widened in a smile. "We should concentrate on you though. It's you who's getting bonded today."

"Did you have to remind me?" Ciel groaned. "I am having enough of a trouble to not fain as it is."

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

"You do something mother, and I'll cut you off." I warned as I saw mother go in the direction of Ciel's room. As far as I knew it was only him and his aunt there at the moment.

'Well, them and the Cerberus I put before the door to guard them.' I smirked to myself. My mother however did not let me dwell in my thoughts for too long.

"Have I not apologized enough?"

"No. I will not forget easily that you have almost cost me my mate mother, would you have been happy if I went mad were Ciel to leave?"

"Don't you dare think that for a moment!" she exclaimed, her red eyes turning almost black in agitation. They however were soon a strawberry red as her temper bubbled off.

"You're my child Sebastian. I just don't want you hurt." she sighed. "Is it wrong of me to love you enough to care for your well-being?"

I always hated when mother tried to make me agree to something by saying something like that. For once however I could see the sincerity in those words and only sighed again.

"I am happy you care mother." I admitted truthfully, walking closer to hug her shorter form. "You however have to accept that I am old enough to make my own choices and mistakes."

"I know." she whispered and stepped away. "You're still my only baby though. I can't lose you to a mistake."

"I'll make sure you won't." I laughed. "I _made_ sure you won't. Ciel is no mistake. And you knew that as soon as you saw the marks of Life-time Bond. Denial is not attractive mother." I could not help but jab.

"You! Is this what a loving mother gets for raising you?"

"I suppose." I said languidly, as I turned around and walked to a room where I have been preparing myself for the Bonding ceremony before mother came. Just as I was in the door frame I turned around and saw my mother standing where she was, a pout on her face which she was sure to deny later.

"Now can my loving mother help me with my hair?"

She was faster at my side than one would be able to say "Cerberus".

-/-/-

(Angelina's POV)

The Bonding ceremony was... indeed very interesting.

That certain word applied to the event all the more when I took into account all the guests gathered in the Main hall of the Phantomhive residence.

Even Ciel fit into that picture, for all in all my baby nephew sporting a purple eye with a pentagram and his glowing, sharp-teethed and red-eyed soon-to-be Bonded Mate - along with the similarly looking family - were the most normal of the lot.

And then there was the one who was performing the ceremony.

A demon which I could see clearly and sharply, given that I was seated in the first row of the chairs, which were in fact more comfortable than they looked.

'Who did Ciel tell me it was?' I tried to recall. Then I felt stupid as it struck me. 'Ah, Lucifer... the ruler of the Underworld... or wherever it is that the demons live... how can you forget something like that Angelina?' I berated myself. Then however my eyes slid back to the demon.

Tall, black-haired, olive-skinned king of demons with almond-shaped eyes with a colour to go with the shape. The horns on the top of his head did great things to increase his appeal also.

'Maybe because he is just bloody _hot_?'

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

If not for the fact they were engrossed in each other, the two soon-to-be-bonded would find Angelina's obvious ogling funny.

They however had other things on their minds.

Sebastian tried to keep his mind intact and stop unnerving himself as he stared in awe, waiting for Ciel to walk to the ceremonial arch made of red roses. To him.

Ciel tried not to faint as he walked down the aisle, noticing in the corners of his eyes all the demons and other creatures which were seated in the rows of chairs, looking at him. And that Sebastian's mouth was widened in a broad smile also did not exactly help with the butterflies in his stomach. That smile was almost enough to make him trip on his own feet.

And suddenly they stood in front of each other, and the nervousness was gone.

Both pairs of hands gripped the hands of the person they intended to spent the eternity with.

Both pairs of eyes causing the other to drown in the colour of their depths.

All of the guests falling into silence immediately.

-/-/-

"Demons of all genders and races. Creatures of all affinities. Humans. Dear gathering." the Lucifer started, his eyes sliding to the two people representing a highly unusual race on a demon ceremony.

"We have gathered here, to witness these two bind their cores together in a Bonding ceremony, making them mates for life. They have come through the initial stages of bonding. "The offering", which had lasted long years, and it took the two great lengths for this relationship to grow into what is it. These two also went through "The fasting of twelve sunrises" which was anything but easy." the deep voice washed over the crowd.

"And as unlikely as it is they have also overcome "The aftermath", with both parties intact I have to add." it continued, earning a series of chuckles which the gathering produced.

'They must have some experience in that already.' Angelina thought with lack of humor. Her mind was however immediately drawn back to Lucifer who continued his speech.

"There is however something else. Something most of you can see and something which before this day was believed to be possible, for it has not happened ever before. I can also offer my blessing on this joining all the more. Because never before has the Life-time bond been initiated before the Bonding, and never before had "Marking" been triggered by human's words. Everything has its first however..." Lucifer trailed off for a moment. When he returned to his speech it was finally the words of the actual bonding.

"There is nothing more powerful than what the bond-mates share. There is nothing that could feel stronger than the joined hearts' resonance. With the power given to me I bless this bond, for there is nothing that could tear the bonded apart."

As Lucifer started speaking, holding his hands above the joined hands of Ciel and Sebastian, the rings, which the two "grooms" never took off their hands, started glowing.

It being their cue the two knew what to do.

Sebastian gently took Ciel's hand and, after kissing Ciel's palm, he took the ring from the middle finger and placed it on the ring finger, kissing the stone.

"I trust you with my heart, my soul, my everything. I will be yours as you will be mine for the lifetime we're meant to spend together. Let this ring be forever a proof of it."

If it was not time for his part Ciel would faint from the pure giddiness the situation caused in him.

'Just so very happy.' he could only think as he repeated the motions Sebastian did before, it ending as he kissed the red stone on the replaced ring.

"I trust you with my heart, my soul, my everything. I will be yours as you will be mine for the lifetime we're meant to spend together. Let this ring be forever a proof of it."

Having said what was to be said the two joined hands once again and Lucifer continued.

"I bless this bond with long life. With sincerity. With understanding. With trust. With love. With fertility. With happiness. With power to overcome all the obstacles which may come its way. I bless this bond by the name of the Moon and the Sun. By the name of the stars. Shall this bond remain unsullied and true for its duration. So it shall be."

As soon as the words were said and a streak of sharp light later another set of rings appeared, mirroring the already existing ones.

A blue ring on Sebastian's left hand now mirrored the one on Ciel's right.

A red ring on Ciel's left hand now mirrored the one on Sebastian's right.

Ring resonance completed.

Sebastian's glow dimming a bit, but still being present.

The spectators staring in mute awe for a while.

This silence which overtook the hall stayed for a while only. For it was soon that Lucifer's voice washed over the crowd again as he turned to the couple. To Sebastian to be more precise.

"I think now's the time to kiss your mate for the first time." he said, winking.

Sebastian, whose mouth was curled in a skull-splitting smile, laughed softly at that.

"Yeah. I think I might do just that."

-/-/-

(Sebastian's POV)

'Mine, all mine.' my heart almost sang to me as the light dimmed and I was free to leave my eyes at Ciel again.

He looked just so beautiful in white. Even in his hair there were white flowers embroiled. He looked perfect. I thought so all the more as he did not stop smiling at me during the whole ceremony.

I was dragged out of my little Ciel-centered space when I heard Lucifer's voice.

"I think now's the time to kiss your mate for the first time." he said, adding a wink.

As he said that I only felt as my mouth widened in smile, one that might look creepy to an outsider, and I laughed.

"Yeah. I think I might do just that." I agreed as I pulled my mate - 'Mine. Mine. Mine~' - closer and our lips locked in a kiss.

It was by no means a chaste one and it was only when we heard whistling and chuckles that we decided to split, our lungs needing some air after all. Well, it was not as if we needed much of it. Me as a demon, and Ciel as my mate, which meant a human with demon characteristics in turn, could go without air for minutes at time.

'Oh, all the time we can spend kissing thanks to that.' I thought to myself smiling. Looking into Ciel's eyes which had a glint of mischievousness in them, I could see his thoughts ran the same way. It seemed he also planned to make full use of what his newly acquired status could be used for.

And for the duration of the feast which followed he had proved me just that.

-/-/-

(Ciel's POV)

Kisses. Kisses. Kisses.

I wanted to place so many of them on those completely kissable lips my mate has.

'My mate... Oh my... I just got married... err... bonded didn't I?' a realisation started dawning on me as Sebastian started feeding me a piece of the three-storey cake he made... for me mostly.

As some of the cream stayed on my lips I saw Sebastian lean closer and we soon were engaging ourselves in yet another make-out session. And even with the number of them we still hear some chuckles when we engaged in it for too long.

'Bonded.' I thought, as it was now my turn to feed Sebastian at least a bit of cake before I had urge to eat it all by myself.

'My mate.' I kept on smiling as he had trouble with not choking on the cake. My feeding technique left a lot to be desired. Maybe because he valued his life too much, or maybe because we just both were eager to do just that the feeding ended up on kissing yet again.

'I think I like that.'

-/-/-

(Third Person's POV)

The feast had not yet been ended when the couple had retreated. Given the eagerness they both felt however, that had been to be expected.

Once the door to their room closed Ciel felt his face heat up, as he knew what was to come. He has been looking forward to that night, however that did not mean that he did not feel shy at the prospect of the actual act happening in a matter of minutes... seconds...

"What is it my sweet?" Sebastian asked, taking in the colour his bonded has taken on. An interesting mix of paleness and cheeks highlighted with pink.

"Just a bit nervous." Ciel murmured as he sought Sebastian's arms, soon burying his face in the older demon's chest.

"You're not the only one my sweet, you know? But maybe we can take care of the nervousness together?" the demon smiled, placing a kiss atop his mate's hair.

"With a few kisses..." Sebastian whispered into the boy's ear, making the boy blush beautifully, before he traced a line of kisses to the boy's mouth, locking their lips together. He however let the younger boy dictate the speed in which the heat of the kiss increased. Sebastian was pleased to feel some of the tension in the smaller body in his arms ease. It however was still present and so he continued with what he was doing.

"Or maybe you want something more to make you at ease?" Sebastian continued as he altered between gently biting Ciel's skin and small licks. Making making a trail of them from the boy's ear to the boy's clavicle, then changing direction to Ciel's lips, whilst he slowly started ridding the boy of his clothes.

It did not take long and Ciel was mirroring his bonded's actions as the shyness started disappearing and soon a trail of black and white clothes was following the two as they advanced to the bed on which they promptly fell, not having expected the distance to be _that_ short. Not that Sebastian would ever have anything against landing atop Ciel.

The laughter that overcame the two of them did a lot to ease the remaining strands of nervousness either of them might have been wrapped in.

"I love you you know?" Ciel murmured as he wrapped his arms around the demon's neck, letting Sebastian hear the fast pace his heart went at.

"I love you too, my sweet." Sebastian whispered back as he climbed to be on all four atop his gloriously naked mate. "And you look delicious from here."

"Don't tease." Ciel blushed and looked to the side as he tried to self-consciously cover at least certain parts of his body. Sebastian however was not approving of it.

"Ah, none of that, my dear Ciel." he grinned as one of his right hand tilted Ciel's chin to make the boy look at him. "Tonight you're all mine... to appreciate... to kiss... to ravish." he paused for a moment, loving the blush that by the last words seemed to be spreading all over Ciel's body. "All mine for the eternity."

"I think I can live with that." Ciel said in response, sticking his tongue out.

"Getting cheeky, aren't we?" Sebastian laughed only, seeing that Ciel was officially as un-tense as he could get. "I think I should punish you for that."

"Hmm. And how would that be?"

-/-/-

Ciel felt as if his body has just gained a mind of its own. No matter how he tried to control it, it just did not listen.

His arms.

His legs.

His hips.

They all decided to not listen to him as Sebastian started caressing his body.

Caressing it.

Licking it.

Kissing it.

Sebastian pretty much worshipped his body as far as Ciel was concerned. The things he was doing should probably become illegal. It all felt simply too good for a person to handle. Sebastian however seemed to not have an intention of stopping. And it fact Ciel did not really want him to. He only gripped the long black hair of his bonded to draw him closer. Closer to the body which shuddered in excitement with every ministration of Sebastian's.

And Sebastian fully intended to tenderly torture Ciel for a while longer. Lovingly picking up one of Ciel's legs he started gently biting his way up the boy's inner thighs. An action which gained a very positive response. And as his pace slowed and slowed in its way up Ciel's moans rose up to a whole new volume of need.

When Sebastian got to the boy's groin he licked the junction of the leg and the torso, avoiding the straining muscle which was begging for attention.

"Sebastian!" the boy moaned desperately, not knowing whether killing his mate on the bonding night would be acceptable if the demon dragged it on for much longer. His body was already twitching in anticipation and if something was not done he felt he was going to lose his mind.

Sebastian however must have heard the plead clear enough in the voice. He gently lowered Ciel's leg, only pausing to place a kiss on the creamy thigh, then spread Ciel's legs so he could settle between them. He then ran his tongue up the hard shaft, thriving in the drawn out moan he elicited from Ciel, the boy in question dropping his head between his shoulders almost, his eyes rolling back, a delectable shiver running down his spine.

To Ciel's disappointment Sebastian had not stayed where he was for too long. He felt so close to coming that he whined at the loss of the warm heat around his hard cock. He however did not get to whine for too long as the sound was quieted by a series of kisses.

Distracted as he was at that moment, Ciel did not notice Sebastian reach to the bed-side table for the lube which lay there - almost - innocently. He however was aware of its presence only moments later, when one of Sebastian's hands reached between Ciel's legs. The hand only traced Ciel's still-hard shaft in passing and dipped lower to rub the lubed fingers over Ciel's entrance.

Ciel gasped at the coldness, then groaned as his anticipation increased.

Still engrossing Ciel in heated kisses to keep his minds off the pain, Sebastian pushed against the crevice, not rushing the things, not wanting to hurt Ciel. He felt the tightness of the muscles. And he felt the tight ring ease and give in a bit as the first finger was pushed past it.

As Ciel felt the finger move inside him he could not help but gasp. It was such a weird, yet somehow pleasurable feeling. Not having felt it ever before he was not exactly sure what to think of it. The feeling increased on intensity when another finger was added. Ciel did feel pain at that moment, but it soon was replaced by a much more pleasing burn, one that brought pleasure.

The pleasant edge of the feeling increased on intensity when Sebastian started spreading the fingers apart inside him, making him used to the feeling of fullness, bringing him closer to release.

As the thrid finger was added, the slight pain has returned for a bit. Soon however any feeling of discomfort went out of the window as the fingers brushed something deep inside him and he moaned Sebastian's name loudly, breaking the kiss they were in the process of sharing.

As if having found a candy stash Sebastian grinned at that and pressed against the same spot inside him again, earning yet another groan of his name filled with want. With desire.

After that Ciel did not last for too long. It only took a few more brushes against that sweet spot and he was a goner. His whole body tensed as he came apart, screaming his bonded's name loudly.

Breathing heavily Ciel looked up, not yet having come down from his white haze. He sought his mate with his eyes, smiling languidly at him. The dazzle he was in however soon was replaced by yet more anticipation as he felt more than saw his mate lining his hard shaft with his entrance.

Ciel's legs trapped Sebastian between them as they wrapped themselves around the demon as if on their own accord.

Sebastian looked at Ciel with a bit of surprise. The look of love and desire he received however made him more than sure that it was okay with his mate to finally complete tha last stage of their bonding.

They kept their eyes on each other's as Sebastian slowly breached Ciel's still-tight opening, pausing for a moment when Ciel winced in pain, waiting for the second it took to relax around the intrusion to his body.

Sebastian then continued pushing into Ciel, slowly, carefully, until he was fully encased in Ciel's warm heat. Like that the two stayed for a while. Breathing heavily, eyes locked, until a moment later Ciel clenched his inner muscles, making Sebastian groan in delight.

Having understood the "okay sign" Sebastian began a slow pace of thrusts, revelling in the moans of his - once more visibly - excited mate. Moans and mostly only first syllables of Sebastian's name, which sounded in the room loudly, were also quite an enjoyable asset to that.

Ciel's hands were gripping Sebastian's as the pace increased. The moans and the shudders which were overtaking the boy's body started increasing on intensity also.

When Ciel's hips also started bucking into the rhythm, joining the fierce, lustful dance, as his orgasm was approaching, Sebastian felt himself nearing his point of endurance also. He sped up the pace, making sure he would hit Ciel's sweet spot over and over, as often as possible. Soon after he felt Ciel shudder in release for the second time that night, the sound of his name screamed from Ciel's lips echoing off the walls. The feeling of Ciel's clenching muscles as the orgasm overtook him was about as much as Sebastian needed and he was soon following his mate into ecstasy.

It was only as a side thought that Sebastian realised that the glow of his skin had - as of that moment - ceased to exist.

-/-/-

"Beautiful." Sebastian murmured into the crook of Ciel's neck as they returned from the world of bliss for the time being. He had truly never seen someone more beautiful. The "freshly debauched" look only adding on the fact as Sebastian knew full well he was the cause for that.

"Perfect." Ciel responded, as he took Sebastian's face into his hands and engaged the demon's mouth in a heated kiss, of which Sebastian soon took control.

"And all mine. My beautiful mate." Sebastian whispered sensuously into the human's ear, soon leaving that spot to trace a line of kisses to his mate's collarbone.

"Yours." Ciel moaned as the sinful mouth traveled a little more to the south and the sharp teeth bit into his nipple gently. He then let his hands entangle themselves into the long black tresses of his bonded's hair as the gentle torture continued.

"As I am yours, my sweet." Sebastian traced the line of kisses back to the boy's lips, thinking how long they'd be able to last without oxygen this time around, and how long it would take until his sweet was screaming his name in ecstasy again.

Not long, if the already hardening shaft he could feel against his own was anything to go by.

'Not exactly one to complain here.' Sebastian chuckled to himself as he ground his equally hard cock into his mate's.

"Sebastian!" Ciel moaned, the hands gripping the black hair almost painfully. Sebastian however paid no mind to that.

"You make such sweet noises." Sebastian drawled as he repeated the motion, settling between the boy's legs which fell open for him in an invitation.

An invitation which Sebastian had no intention to refuse.

"We should see how much more of them we can draw out of that pretty mouth of yours, shouldn't we?" Sebastian teased the boy as he entered the boy for the second time that night.

"Ah, yes!"

* * *

**Hi there~**

**I am so sorry for the long wait (again), but at least this time the chapter is more than twice the length of the usual ones.**

**Also note that the Rating has been changed to M as of this chapter ;)**

**I am ashamed to see that it is a month till the first birthday of this story and I am only at chapter ten... *sigh* Hopefully once the holiday comes I will increase my speed and maybe by the end of it this story will be at its end also.. but who knows,if my plans on where to take this story will continue the way I want them we are not even halfway there (I plan on 20 chapters in the least). I hope to publish the next chapter at the "Birthday" (25.6.), but well... nothing ever goes as I want it. (And it is likely to be a short one anyway)**

**See ya~ ( "-.-)/**


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